AutoPetstm Announces 2018 Out-of-the-Box Thinking Scholarship Winners

AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Oct. 15, 2018 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- AutoPets is excited to announce the winners of the 2018 Out-of-the-Box Thinking Scholarship. The manufacturer of the Litter-Robot®, the highly successful automatic, self-cleaning cat litter box, created the scholarship to reward inventive students with financial aid for college.

Applicants were prompted to come up with the next brilliant idea in pet care, whether a physical pet product (litter box, toy, or leash) or software-based (app, AI, virtual reality, or augmented reality). Ideas needed to align with AutoPets' fresh-eyes, open-minded approach to designing highly functional, easy-to-use products with a modern aesthetic, that make caring for your pet more enjoyable. The Grand Prize winner was awarded a $1,250 scholarship, and the Second and Third Runners-up received $500 and $250 scholarships, respectively.

The 2018 Grand Prize winner is Elise G. for Leashed In, an app that would help pet owners find suitable animal companions for their pets, allowing pets to play with other animals that have similar personalities or needs. The Second Runner-up is Bailey D. for the Smart Water Bowl, a waterer that sets and tracks daily goals for your pet's water consumption based on the weather, their weight, and daily activity level, all integrated into an app on your smartphone. The Third Runner-up is Giovanni R. for Pet Lifeguide, an autonomous device that can save a pet from drowning should they fall into a pool.

Each submission described the inspiration and thought process behind the concept, why pet parents would need it, what makes the product unique, who the target market is, what the marketing and retail strategies would be, and anything else that would help sell the idea. Drawings or graphics to help illustrate the idea were welcome, but not required.

AutoPets will announce the next Out-of-the-Box Thinking Scholarship in spring 2019. As always, applicants will need to be current students at an accredited university, community college, certificate program, graduate school, or equivalent institute within the United States. High school students enrolling in 2019 will also be eligible. Winners will be asked to submit verification of their student status.

Learn more at https://www.litter-robot.com/scholarship

SOURCE AutoPets